PayPal officially announced the mobile payment solution with the free “PayPal Here” reader and accompanying free iOS and Android application.

PayPal’s system can accept all major credit cards and offers a few more ways to get paid outside of credit cards. Merchants can accept direct PayPal payments and checks, yes hand written checks, in addition to credit cards. The funds (except for payments via check) are available the same day in the user’s PayPal account.

With the PayPal Here card reader and application PayPal has positioned themselves in direct competition with Square’s reader and accompanying iPad and iPhone applications. The application also manages to undercut Square’s transaction fee by .05% coming in at 2.7% per transaction.

The ability to create invoices and track cash payments is standard fare but the odd triangular design of the reader itself is an interesting choice to say the least. But, it appears the Pay Here app allows merchants to add items to a simple inventory list. It’s no where near squares digital storefront, but definitely encouraging to have the added functionality this early.

The reader or the accompanying app are not yet available, but for those who are interested can sign up for notification as soon as they become available. The additional payment methods definitely make PayPal Here an enticing offer.

Stay tuned for more news and info on this topic by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and/or subscribing to our RSS feed.

[Source: PayPal]

A recent report from Digitimes claims that the Android’s new OS dubbed “Jelly Bean” is scheduled to launch at some pint in the second quarter.The publication feels confident enough to quote a number of Taiwanese suppliers claiming that we will see a range of tablet devices and notebooks which are capable of running dual operating systems.

The publication also claims that vendors will be able to add Android 5.0 to a Windows 8-based tablet or notebook, allowing users to switch between the operating systems without a reboot.

Google could be looking at Android 5.0 Jelly Bean as a way to resurrect its notebook/netbook ambitions. Google already has a netbook OS, called Chrome, but it has failed to really grab any share. It is available in a handful of inexpensive netbooks from manufacturers such as Samsung.

The latest version of the Android operating system, known as Ice Cream Sandwich, was announced in May of last year before being showcased on the Galaxy Nexus smartphone later in October. Four months down the line and it seems that only approximately 1% of Android devices are running versions of Android 4.0, bring about big concerns and showing that the adoption of the latest OS has been a lot slower than expected.

With Microsoft getting set to release its brand new Windows 8 operating system in the third quarter of 2012, the speculation suggests that Google are looking for an end of quarter two release for Jelly Bean to provide competition for Windows 8.

Considering that the hardware requirements for Windows 8 would prevent users from installing a second OS on ARM-based PCs due to a locked Secure Boot system. What’s not known is if Microsoft’s manufacturing partners would have permission to ignore that when designing machines. What’s also interesting is that no mention of smartphones is made with respect to Android 5.0. Google specifically designed Android 4.0 to combine the best features of Android 3.2 with Android 2.3 and create a master platform that works equally well on smartphones and tablets. So far, only one Android 4.0 smartphone is available, though Android 4.0 tablets are expected to arrive soon. Android 4.0 has barely had a chance to get a foothold in the market.

Google also pushed its I/O developers conference back by six weeks, to the end of June rather than the middle of May. Does Google need this extra six weeks to finish work on products that will be announced at I/O?

Stay tuned for more news and info on this topic by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and/or subscribing to our RSS feed.

Microsoft announced on Wednesday that the company has signed a cross-licensing agreement with Samsung. As a result of the agreement, Microsoft will be receiving royalties from Samsung for its Android-powered smartphones and tablets. Additionally, Microsoft mentioned that the two firms will continue to cooperate on the Windows Phone operating system.

“Through the cross-licensing of our respective patent portfolios, Samsung and Microsoft can continue to bring the latest innovations to the mobile industry,” executive vice president of global product strategy at Samsung’s mobile communication division Dr. Won-Pyo Hong said. “We are pleased to build upon our long history of working together to open a new chapter of collaboration beginning with our Windows Phone “Mango” launch this fall.”

Microsoft has similar agreements with HTC, Acer and ViewSonic, and it is estimated the company’s revenue from Android is three to five times greater than the revenue it receives from its own Windows Phone operating system.

Google on the other hand has issued an irate response to Microsoft’s cross-licensing agreement with Samsung. “This is the same tactic we’ve seen time and again from Microsoft,” Google said in a statement to TechCrunch. “Failing to succeed in the smartphone market, they are resorting to legal measures to extort profit from others’ achievements and hinder the pace of innovation. We remain focused on building new technology and supporting Android partners.”

Microsoft issued a public response to Google on its blog shortly afterwards stating the following:“We recognize that some businesses and commentators – Google chief among them – have complained about the potential impact of patents on Android and software innovation,” Microsoft’s general counsel Brad Smith and deputy general counsel Horacio Gutierrez wrote in the post. “To them, we say this: look at today’s announcement. If industry leaders such as Samsung and HTC can enter into these agreements, doesn’t this provide a clear path forward?”

The Redmond-based company also explained that HTC and Samsung were responsible for more than half of all Android phones sold in 2011 in the United States. While there will be more drama, maybe this event marks “the end of the beginning” for an “industry-wide assortment” of legal issues.

You can read Microsoft’s full press release regarding their cross-licensing agreement below:

Microsoft and Samsung Broaden Smartphone Partnership

REDMOND, Wash — Sept. 28, 2011 — Microsoft announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement with Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., to cross-license the patent portfolios of both companies, providing broad coverage for each company’s products. Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will receive royalties for Samsung’s mobile phones and tablets running the Android mobile platform. In addition, the companies agreed to cooperate in the development and marketing of Windows Phone.

“Microsoft and Samsung see the opportunity for dramatic growth in Windows Phone and we’re investing to make that a reality,” said Andy Lees, president, Windows Phone Division, Microsoft. “Microsoft believes in a model where all our partners can grow and profit based on our platform.”

“Through the cross-licensing of our respective patent portfolios, Samsung and Microsoft can continue to bring the latest innovations to the mobile industry,” said Dr. Won-Pyo Hong, executive vice president of global product strategy at Samsung’s mobile communication division. “We are pleased to build upon our long history of working together to open a new chapter of collaboration beginning with our Windows Phone “Mango” launch this fall.”

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

According to InMobi’s research (a mobile ad network), 41% of mobile users in North America plan to purchase the iPhone 5. Furthermore, 50% of those planning to purchase the phone will buy it within the first six months after it is launched, which could propel its current 27% smartphone market share to 41%. InMobi did add one caveat to their study: if Apple decides to release a minor upgrade to the current iPhone just 15% of consumers will purchase the new device.

InMobi’s research revealed what the customers hoped the new iPhone would have: upgrades to the processing speed, screen resolution, battery life, and service quality. 51% of current iPhone owners, 27% of BlackBerry owners, and 52% of Android owners plan to upgrade to the iPhone 5. If Apple reveals an iPhone 4S however, just 11% of iPhone and BlackBerry users, and 28% of Android users plan to make the purchase.

“Apple is currently the clear leader in terms of compelling user experience and customer loyalty, and we feel that their quality and pace of innovation when it comes to mobile devices will continue to improve the content and advertising experience for consumers for iPhone 5 and beyond,” InMobi vice president of global research and marketing James Lamberti said.

With statistics like these, it is easy to say that Apple still seems to be one step ahead of its competition.

You can read the full press release below:

InMobi Smartphone Study Reveals 41% of Mobile Users to Buy Apple iPhone 5

North American Mobile Ad Market to Benefit from Most Highly-Anticipated Smartphone Launch to Date

SAN MATEO, Calif., Sept. 28, 2011 — SAN MATEO, Calif., Sept. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — InMobi, the world’s largest independent mobile ad network, today announces the combined results of its monthly InMobi Mobile Insights network ad data research and a custom iPhone-focused study, iPhone 5 and the Mobile Market.  The InMobi announcement acts as a forecast to the scope and effect of the confirmed October 4th Apple iPhone announcement in North America.  InMobi anticipates the North American mobile ad market to experience a significant increase in mobile media consumption based on the iPhone 5 consumer data findings.

Apple iPhone 5 potentially the most successful smartphone launch to date

The recent InMobi consumer smartphone survey uncovers that 41% of current mobile users in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada plan to buy an iPhone 5—potentially making it the most successful launch from the consumer electronics giant to date.  The study further finds that over 50% of those users will make the purchase within the first six months of the iPhone 5 launch, which could take Apple significantly ahead of its June 2011 market position, and increase its mobile platform market share from 27% in June (comScore Inc., August 2011) to 41%.

However, if Apple only unveils a product update—akin to the 3GS version of the iPhone that Apple released in 2009—interest in the new smartphone will be significantly lower, with fewer than 15% of consumers likely to actively pursue the new handset.

The study finds that consumers are most hopeful for improved battery life; increased processing speed; higher-quality screen resolution; and stronger phone service in the rumored Apple smartphone.

Customer retention and new users

The study uncovered that over half of BlackBerry users (52%) are planning to switch to the new Apple iPhone 5, followed by 51% of current iPhone users and over one in four (27%) Android owners.  Even if the announcement only unveils an iPhone 4S, 28% of current BlackBerry smartphone owners plan to switch to Apple, more than double the amount of current iPhone and Android owners.

Percentage of mobile consumers planning to switch to new iPhone:
Current Phone	% Planning to Switch to iPhone 5	% Planning to Switch to iPhone “4S”
iPhone	51	11
Android	27	11
BlackBerry	52	28

InMobi experiences continued network growth in North America

InMobi’s North America Market Overview, which shows nearly 24 billion mobile ad impressions on the InMobi network over the past quarter, denotes that Apple mobile ad impressions are on the rise in iPod Touch devices and that as a manufacturer, Apple has the majority of the market share, at 29%.  Data from the report also indicates a 33% growth in mobile ad impressions over the past three months, and a 39% growth in smart phone impressions in the North America mobile market.  An infographic outlining the full findings of InMobi’s most recent research is available at: http://www.inmobi.com/research/.

Commenting on InMobi’s latest findings, James Lamberti, VP Global Research & Marketing at InMobi, said: “The combination of Apple’s increasing market share in mobile advertising and general consumer interest in their latest technology is another boon for the mobile advertising industry.  Apple is currently the clear leader in terms of compelling user experience and customer loyalty, and we feel that their quality and pace of innovation when it comes to mobile devices will continue to improve the content and advertising experience for consumers for iPhone 5 and beyond.”

On Google’s company blog, the CEO, Larry Page explains why Google decided to drop $12.5 billion to purchase the smartphone vendor, Motorola Mobility. Page had plenty to say regarding Motorola’s extensive history and how Motorola has played a leading role in the Android platform’s explosive growth, he also pointed out how the company has one of the leading factors behind the deal: patents. “We recently explained how companies including Microsoft and Apple are banding together in anti-competitive patent attacks on Android,” the CEO wrote on Google’s blog. “The U.S. Department of Justice had to intervene in the results of one recent patent auction to ‘protect competition and innovation in the open source software community’ and it is currently looking into the results of the Nortel auction. Our acquisition of Motorola will increase competition by strengthening Google’s patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies.”

When it comes to other Android partners such as Samsung and HTC, Page was sure to indicate that Google’s aquisition of Motorola Mobility won’t be pushing them out of the market. “This acquisition will not change our commitment to run Android as an open platform,” Page noted in his post. “Motorola will remain a licensee of Android and Android will remain open. We will run Motorola as a separate business. Many hardware partners have contributed to Android’s success and we look forward to continuing to work with all of them to deliver outstanding user experiences.” Google seems to be building a scenario where they can control the Android user experience in all aspects as a result of the acquisition but is also seeking to protect the Android ecosystem as a whole by using patents obtained through the deal to fight off those who may sue, such as Apple and Microsoft.

Google is now greeting everyone with a brand new interface for tablet users as mentioned on the Google Mobile Blog. To sum everything up in short, search just got bigger. This ultimately means that everything is easier to touch, which means everything should be easier to use. The new look isn’t anything revolutionary but should be a welcome use of a roomy-screened tablet display. The Google Mobile Blog mentions the following:

We’ve simplified the layout of search results pages and increased the size of page contents like text, buttons and other touch targets to make it faster and easier to browse and interact with search results in portrait or landscape view.

The search button located below the search box provides quick access to specific types of results like Images, Videos, Places, Shopping and more. Just tap to open the search menu and select an option to see results in one category.

For image results, we focused on improvements that enhance the viewing experience such as enlarged image previews, continuous scroll, and faster loading of image thumbnails.

Google has created larger image previews, faster loading thumbnails, and has a new continuous scroll feature. The new search page will be coming out in the next few days and can be viewed on devices that are running Android 3.1+ (Honeycomb) and on the iPad in 36 different languages.

If you are one of the many with a tablet of your own, give it a go and let us know what you think!

Stay tuned for more news and info on the topic by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and/or subscribing to our RSS feed.

Google is rolling out a new version of Android Market to all handsets running Android 2.2 or higher (which now makes up a vast majority of Android users). It’s bringing a new UI, performance improvements, and a variety of features designed to help with app discovery, including lists such as “Top Grossing,” and recently trending applications. Google showed these additions off at the Google I/O press conference but hasn’t rolled them out to the mobile client until now.

Everyone in the US is going to get their hands on the long-awaited Videos application, which was showcased at Google’s I/O but has only been available on a handful of devices until now. This new Market also merges the sale of Books, Video, and Apps into a single marketplace (before now you would be buying books using the dedicated Books app). We haven’t gotten our hands on the new app just yet but people are saying that the are enjoying the new features. The design looks like its taking a lot less cues from the Honeycomb version of Android Market, which we strongly dislike. There are some nice touches though, like the ability to swipe horizontally to jump between screens.

The new version of Market will be rolling over a fairly long window as it will take as long as a month to arrive on your handset, though it sounds like US users may see it sooner.

The most popular custom ROM for rooted Android phones has been updated again today. The first release candidate for Cyanogen Mod 7.1 is up for grabs for users who are interested in getting more from their Android smartphones. Cyanogen Mod is a custom ROM based on Google’s Android OS that is developed and maintained by the CyanogenMod team. Users with rooted Android smartphones can install the custom firmware on their devices to enjoy features otherwise not available on official Android releases.

Today’s update brings support for new devices, bug fixes, performance updates, and a handful of new features. CM71 is based on the latest version of Android (that’s 2.3.4 “Gingerbread) whose major new feature is native video/voice chatting on Google Talk. Previously, users could only use text to chat with each other, but that’s not going to be the case anymore. Video/voice chat works over 3G, 4G, and WiFi (no need to do anything special to the device to make it work over 3G).

Other new features that were included include mouse support, an option to get notified about incoming calls in the background when the screen is on, and a bunch of other small tweaks that improve the overall user-experience. The latest version of also brings support for the Samsung Galaxy S (and its American, carrier-based variations), HTC Incredible S, T-Mobile G2X/LG Optimus 2X and a Motorola Cliq/Cliq XT.

Users who are interested in updating to CM7.1 RC1 are suggested to back up their current set up using ROM Manager and Titanium Backup. The simplest way to upgrade is from ROM Manager itself, but for users who know their device’s codename, you may install it manually by grabbing it from here. Just keep in mind that this is an RC release, so there will be bugs that need to be fixed – proceed with caution.

The complete change log is as follows:

• Common: Android 2.3.4 (Google)
• Common: Bluetooth mouse support – Scott Brady
• Common: Improve notification swipe-to-clear – Evan Charlton
• Common: Improve album-artist support in media scanner – Paul Crovella
• Common: Profile improvements and bugfixes – Martin Long
• Common: RTL text improvements – Eyad Aboulouz, Eran Mizrahi
• Common: Wake on volume key option – Sven Dawitz
• Common: Support for revoking application permissions – Plamen K. Kosseff
• Common: Latest Superuser app – ChainsDD
• Common: Control brightness by sliding on statusbar – Danesh M
• Common: Add “copy all” to context menu – Danesh M
• Common: Lockscreen haptic and statusbar indicators toggle – Danesh M
• Common: Nicer timepicker/datepicker – Jiri Tyr
• Common: Configuration 0/90/180/270 rotation – Jonas Larsson, Scott Brady
• Common: DSP Manager bugfixes and improvements – Antti S Lankila
• Common: Support for launching apps via gestures in the background – Jiri Tyr
• Common: Option to hide hold button during call – Roberto Leinardi
• Common: Allow using wildcards for call blacklisting – Nihanth Subramanya
• Common: Option to allow in-call lockscreen to match main lockscren – Sven Dawitz
• Common: Option to notify about incoming call only in background when screen is on – Pavel Kucera
• Common: ADWLauncher- Transitions, catalog improvements, bugfixes – John Van Etten
• Common: Optional GMT correction for SMS/MMS timestamps – Terry Hau
• Common: Add FM Seek for TI devices – KalimochoAz
• Common: Add FM support for SI4708 devices (Blade, V9, Racer) – Stéphane Konstantaropoulos
• Common: Add FM seek implementation to FM application – Tom Giordano
• Click, Motorola: Speed up photo recording – Emilio López
• Click, Motorola: Add Geolocation to photo app – KalimochoAz
• Vision/Glacier/Ace/Speedy/Vivo: 2.6.35 kernel and updated userspace
• Buzz: 2.6.35 kernel – Arne Coucheron

If you decide to try out the new version on your Android device, let us know about your experience in the comments below!

Stay tuned for more info on this topic by following us on Facebook, Twitter and/or by subscribing to our RSS Feed.

Earlier this week, Nokia unveiled its latest smartphone, the Nokia N9. The N9 is the struggling company’s first smartphone which runs the open sourced MeeGo operating system, a joint collaboration between Nokia’s Maemo project and Intel’s Moblin software. It is also the company’s first smartphone in at least three years, which is why many people have generally been excited to hear about it and get their hands on it.

Predictably, the Nokia N9 was met with a disenchanted press upon its release. Although Nokia is still a dominant mobile manufacturer, the company has struggled to compete in the high-end smartphone market against slick touchscreen rivals for quite some time. Current Nokia smartphones such as the N8, the C7, and the E7 are sluggish and unintuitive when compared to their rivals – including Apple’s infamous iPhone. The iPhone isn’t the only one that outshines the current Nokia phones as there is a large number of Google Android smartphones along with other manufacturers such as HTC, LG, Motorola, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson.

In February, Nokia announced that it would be switching its main focus to producing Windows Phone 7 powered smartphones for its premium devices. The Symbian software that powers current smartphones, including the latest N8, C7, and E7 devices, will continue to be supported with both software updates and a range of new models (up to 10 new Symbian-based smartphones are scheduled to release within the next year) but Nokia’s “primary smartphone strategy” will be focusing on Windows Phone 7 smartphones. Knowing that makes the launch of the MeeGo-powered Nokia N9 more than a little confusing. Most analysts believe the success and strength of rival ecosystems such as Apple and Google will leave little room for smartphones like the N9 which many expect to be a niche device. Nokia seems to be perfectly content with that and says the N9 aims to “showcase new ways to use a smartphone.” The company’s CEO, Stephen Elop has revealed that many of the N9′s user interface features may be seen on upcoming Nokia Windows Phone 7 devices, the first of which are expected to hit the market at the end of this year.

Regardless of Nokia’s Windows Phone 7 strategy, the fact remains that Nokia smartphones with Microsoft software are still months away from becoming a reality. In between then and now, Nokia remains well behind its competition and simply waiting for a Windows Phone device to change the company’s fortunes would be a disastrous move. The N9 seems to fill the gape in the meantime, and will atleast give Nokia a credible, refreshing, and new alternative. It helps that several software developers are showing general and genuine interest in the device and are excited for the release. It is a possibility that the software developers will help the N9 reach a place beyond it’s expectations.

Have you checked out Nokia’s N9? Are you interested in getting it or at the very least seeing what features everyone is discussing regarding the device? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

As usual, stay tuned for more news and info on the topic by following us on Facebook, Twitter and/or subscribing to our RSS feed.

Apple’s isn’t the only one creating a BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) type service for its platform as it appears that Google is attempting to do the same. Details are pretty scarce at the moment but it would make perfect sense for Google to jump on board, like other competitors have. The exclusive instant messenger trend began last year, when Research In Motion announced BlackBerry Messenger, an exclusive service that allowed BlackBerry users to communicate through texts and pictures with other BlackBerry users. On Monday June 6, Apple announced iMessage, a similar service that will be a part of iOS 5.

BBM has been a popular service among BlackBerry users, and now with iMessage gaining interest on the iOS platform, Google might have found it wise to look into developing a similar service for their own platform, at least according to “sources familiar to the matter.” Currently, Android offers a sub-parr text only Google Talk client, although instant messaging clearly hasn’t been the company’s top priority.

The thought of multiple proprietary instant messaging services on an OS-by-OS basis might sound like a very stupid idea at first, but it is actually pretty smart. If all users of a platform are automatically brought on board, the need for traditional SMS will be fairly limited. Users will simply be able to use their current internet connection to communicate with other users, without an extra fee or the 160-character limit. In countries such as the Netherlands, free messaging services like WhatsApp have surged in market share over the last year, mainly due to the fast adoption among a younger generation of users. Carriers as one might expect, aren’t completely on board with the power grab. Deutsche Telekom Chief Executive Rene Obermann went as far as saing that SMS is “a very established way to communicate” and that not everyone is technologically savvy enough to use online messaging services:

Not everybody is a techno freak, and not everybody wants to deploy these new applications such as WhatsApp.

Having compelling over the web messaging clients built into every phone will get the mainstream users to move away from SMS, towards the cheaper online option. Once they do, however, carriers will surely find a way to limit it, since net neutrality laws are still several years away from coming to fruition. Will Google and Apple succeed with their own messaging services like RIM did with BlackBerry Messenger? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

Read More